Penrhyn Quarry Railway 4 wheel workman's open coach

MPM3 • by Meridian Models

£8.00

Quantity

History

The workmen's train ran from 1880 until 1957 for the benefit of quarrymen travelling to the slate quarries at Bethesda. The train consisted of up to 13 generally identical vehicles. The coaches were owned by the men through the workmens' Train Society and hauled by locomotives hired from the company. The train ran again in 1957 during a local bus strike. Special visitors were conveyed in coach F to the quarry being coupled to a slate train for the journey.

The vehicles were built in several small batches from 1880 till 1927, the first by De Hinton of Caernarvon (coaches A to J). Later vehicles (K to Q) were built by the quarry workshops. Quarry built coaches are identifiable by the seating style, early coaches have plain flat board seats. Quarry built examples have contoured slatted seats similar in design to park benches!

Numerous other detail variations such as bolt spacing and tie rods on individual coaches will be noted on close study of photographs. Our model is of coach F as restored to running order, which also omits the under seat cross-bracing fitted to strengthen the bodies in later life.